The subject invention relates to packaging systems, and more particularly, a packaging system and method utilizing intelligent conveyor systems effective for delivering articles from a first location to a second location and for placing articles into a desired number of rows, columns and stacks.
Packaging systems have been developed for transporting articles from a manufacturing operation or storage location to a system for aligning the articles into a desired configuration for packaging and shipment. Such systems often have conveyors with conveyor belts for moving articles to an elevator apparatus that operates to stack the articles into a desired configuration of rows, columns, and stacks then move the stacked articles for placement into cartons for shipment or to another location before shipment. Such conventional automatic packaging systems however are typically very complex, or operate only for moving identical articles traveling down a conveyor, or have difficulties in handling articles with irregular shapes, or are not easily converted to handle different size articles, or are not easily modified or reprogrammed to arrange articles into different packaging configurations.
Further, packaging systems use conventional conveyor systems having conveyor belts that move articles from one location to a second location whereby the articles are removed by hand from the conveyor and placed into a container or package. Such systems typically depend on the ability of one or more individuals to remove the articles and properly place them into a container or package. Unfortunately, such systems typically are unable to adjust the speed of delivery of the articles to different unloading stations thereby often resulting in article back-up or articles being displaced or being expelled from the conveyor system. Further, such systems cannot automatically determine if a backup is occurring and automatically adjust the delivery of articles being delivered to that unloading station.
Accordingly, a need exists for a packaging system that can operate to receive articles from a first location and transport the articles to a second location for arrangement of the articles into a desired number of rows, columns, and/or stacks, that can easily handle articles with irregular shapes, and that can be easily converted to handle different size articles and/or to arrange the articles into various packaging configurations. Further, a need exist for a packaging system that can easily pack different articles into a single container or package, can be easily modified to accommodate different product streams, and can automatically adjust the delivery of articles to one or more unloading stations.